Pressing machine



Decn 22, 193e. A, MATTHEWS 2,065,235

PRESSING MACHINE Filed OCT.. 13, 1934 Fla-2 /f f F|G.| ALBERT MATTHEWSATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 22, 1936 y UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE PRESSINGMACHINE Application October 13, 1934, Serial No. 748,156

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a pressing machine for pressing or ironing thetubular portions of articles of wearing apparel, such as sleeves,trouser legs and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an expansiblevpressing memberwhich substantially conformsl to the inner surface' of the tubulargarment member to be pressed and a cooperating pressing member ormembers which usually 10 will be some sort of heated chest means, themachine being arranged to relativelymove the members so that the chestmeans closely surrounds the expansible member with the garment betweenthe expansible member and the chest means with a provisionfor-thereafter expanding the inner member so as to press the garmentagainst the chest means to complete an ironing operation.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide improved power means forplacing the chest means in pressing position and for thereafterexpanding the jinner member to produce the pressing operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a pressing machinehaving a pair of cooperating pressing members, each relatively movablewith respect to the othertwoh,and control means for moving one memberuntil the press is safely closed and control means actuated autommatically thereafter to move the second member into iinal pressingengagement with the first member. This structure provides very safecontrol mechanism for a press of this type.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent 35 as the descriptionprogresses and the essential features will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of a sleevepress embodying my invention with parts of the control mechanism showndia- 40 grammatically. In this ligure the pressing members are shown infull line in their open position and in broken line in their closedposition. While Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,showing the pressing members in their 45 closed position.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied to a sleeve pressingmachine and to this end the inner or expansible pressing member I isshown as an elongated bag tapering toward 50 the top so as to suit itfor use with sleeves of various sizes. This inner pressing member ismounted on a base member II, the mounting shown comprising a verticalrod I2 secured at its lower end to the base and having at its upper 55end a plate I3 resting against the inner end of the bag member so as tohold it in its proper position when deflated. 'I'he lower edge of thebag is turned outwardly at I4 and secured to the base in a duid-tightconnection as by means of a ring I5 clamped to the base. The'bag member5 I0 may be of pure rubber or of impregnated fabric, it ybeing desirablethat whatever material is used the bag shall substantially conform tothe the bag member may have a slight degree of slackness therein wheninserted within the tubular garment member and upon ination thisslackness may be taken up so as to permit the longitudinal surfaces ofthe bag to move out-l wardly.

Pressing chest means suitable to closely surround the inner expansiblemember is provided and while this may take several forms, I have chosento illustrate the same as comprising a pair of substantially U-shapedmembers I 'I constructed to conform to the outer surface of the garmentmember being pressed and arranged to completely surround thelongitudinal surfaces of the inner pressing member. As most clearlyshown in Fig. 2, the chest members Il are provided with interlockingflanges I8 at their meeting edges so as to provide a continuous surfacefor the purpose of avoiding any rough-dried appearance on the garment atthis point. 'I'he chest members may also have hollow interior chambersI9 to which a heating medium may be supplied. The chest members I1 aremounted on L-shaped levers 20 which are pivotally supported at 2I on 40the base I I so that the chest members may be swung from their openposition indicatedin full lines in Fig. 1 to their closed positionindicated in dot-dash lines.

Power means is provided for moving the chest members toward pressingposition, the particular means comprising a duid-actuated motor 22 whichhas a cylinder 23 in which is mounted a piston 24 whose piston rod 25carries a pin 26 which engages slots 21 in each of the L-shaped 50levers 20. Springs 28 connected between the levers 20 and the base I Ibias the chest members I 'I toward their open position.

Mechanism for controlling the'ow and exhaust of motive iluid lto andfrom the motor 22 55 and the pressing member I is shown diagrammaticallyin Fig. 1. Fluid under pressure is supplied to cylinder 23 above thepiston 24 by a combined flow and exhaust conduit 29 which receives itssupply of motive fluid through twoinlet valves in series, namely,normally closed inlet valve 30 in valve casing 3| and normally closedinlet valve 32 in valve casing 33, these two casings being connected inseries by conduit 34 and casing 33 being connected with a source offluid supply 35. Valve 32 is actuated by manual 36 and valve 30 isactuated by manual 31 which moves valve stem 38 which not only actuatesvalve 30 but also actuates normally open exhaust valve 39 which ismounted on valve stem 38 so as to move in unison with valve 3U. It willbe obvious therefore that actuation of manuals 36 and 31 in unison isnecessary to cause a power stroke of piston 24 because if manual 36 isreleased, the fiow'of motive fluid ceases, and if manual 31 is releasedmotive iiuid is not only cut off but exhaust valve 39 opens and piston24 will be returned upwardly by the action of springs 28. y v

The control mechanism is so arranged that the inner pressing membercannot be expanded so as to move its longitudinal surfaces toward theouter pressing member, or chestmembers I1, until the latter have beenmoved to safe closed position. To this end the admission of motive fluidto the chamber I6 within the bag I0 is controlled by the movement ofpiston 24 so as to occur only after the piston has substantiallycompleted a power stroke so as to bring the chest members I1 to theirsafe closed position in which they closely surround the inner pressingmember. 'I'he specific mechanism shown comprises a port 40 so located inthe wall of cylinder 23 that it is open to pressure fluid only afterpiston 24 has substantially completed its power stroke. This -portcommunicates by conduit 4I, valve 42, conduits 43 and 44 to chamber I6within the bag member I9. Valve 42 is preferably a reducing valve whichmay be set for any desired pressure within the bag I0 as it is usuallydesirable to use a higher presp sure in operating the piston 24 thanthat necessary to expand the bag I0. Chamber I6 is normally incommunication by conduits 44 and` 45 with a normally open exhaust valve46 which may conveniently be mounted on valve stern 38 so as to beactuated by manual 31 substantially simultaneously with the actuation ofvalves 30 and 39 previously described.

Means is provided for maintaining the chest members I1 in positionclosely surrounding the inner pressing-member while a pressing operationis in progress, the particular means comprising small fluid actuatedservomotors 41 and 48 which in their operated position contact themanuals 31 and 36 respectively to hold the manuals in their actuatedposition. The uid supply for servomotors 41 and 48 is provided by acommon conduit 49 which communicates with a port 59 in the wall ofcylinder 23 which is uncovered when the piston has substantiallycompleted its power stroke.

The operation of the mechanism starting with the parts in the full lineposition of Fig 1 is as follows: The operator dresses a sleeve upon thesurface of bag I0 and depresses manuals 36 and 31. Normally open exhaustvalves 46 and 39are closed and inlet valves 30 and 32 are opened thuspermitting motive fluid to flow through conduit 35, valve 32, conduit34, valve 30 and conduit 29 to cylinder 23. The piston 24 makes adownward stroke moving levers 20 and chest members I1 able toward safelyclosed position is to move chest members I1 inwardly.

to the dot-dash position of Fig. l. When piston 24 uncovers port 40pressure uid flows through conduit 4I, reducing valve 42 and conduits 43and 44 to chamber I6 so as to expand the inner pressing member, movingthe longitudinal Walls thereof outwardly, thus smoothing any Jwrinklesin the garment member and pressing the same against the inner surfacesof chest members I1. When piston 24 uncoversport 50 in the lwall ofcylinder 23 on its downward stroke, uid is supplied through conduit 49to servomotors 41 and 48 for retaining the manuals 36 and 31 in theiractuated position and the operator may release the manuals. Uponcompletion of a pressing operation manual 31 may be moved against theaction of its holding servomotor 41 whereupon spring Il closes valve 30and opens exhaust valves 39 and 46.N Motor 22 is exhausted through valve39 and simultaneously the chamber I6 of the lnner pressing member isexhausted through conduits 44 and 45 and valve 46. Thereupon springs 28move the chest members I1 to open position and a small port 53 in thelower head of cylinder 23permits servomotors 41 and 48 to exhaust whilethe piston 24 moves upwardly.

It is thus obvious that I have provided a control mechanism which hasapplication to presses of other types wherein each of a pair of pressingmembers is relatively movable toward the oth Power means is provided formoving one of the members to a safe closed position and two-hand controlmeans for the power means keeps the hands of the operator occupied untildanger of injury is past. In the present disclosure the power means isthe motor 22 and the member movl the cooperating parts I1 of the chestmeans. After the pressing members are in safe closed position, meansactuated automatically, in this case the uncovering of port 40 by piston24, moves the inner pressing member toward the outer pressing memberinto final pressing position.

One additional feature should be noted. With the press closed, theforces exerted lnbag III tending to move chest members I1 outwardly arebalanced by the force above piston 24 tending In this construction it isobvious that, to increase the pressure per square inch exerted by bagIII, it is necessary to increase the size of piston 24 or to relativelylengthen the lever arm upon which its force acts. Another solution', tothose skilled in the art, is to lock the members I1 in closed position,whereupon the pressure in bag I0 may be increased up to thelimit of thestructural strength of the parts.v

What I claim is:

1. In a' pressing machine, an elongated expansible fluid-tight bag,closely surround the longitudinal surfacev of said bag, a fluid-actuatedcylinder and piston motor having operative connections for positioningsaid chest means about said bag, a port in 'said cylinder incommunication with bag, said port being uncovered when said piston hassubstantially completed its positioning stroke, and means for supplyingpressure ui'cl to said motor.

2. In a pressing machine, an elongated ex-i pansible fluid-tight bag,chest means adapted to completely surround the longitudinal surface ofsaid bag, a cylinder and piston motor, motion transmitting mechanismbetween saidmotor and said chest means for placing said' chest means inwhich will occurl chest means adapted to the interior of said.

pressing position by operation of said motor, a

portin said cylinder adapted to be uncovered when said motor has.substantially completed its chest-positioning operation, conduit meansconnecting said port and bag, a pressure reducing valve in said conduitmeans, and means for supplying pressure uid to said motor.

3. In a pressing machine, an elongated expansible inner pressing member,chest means adapted when in pressing position to completely surround thelongitudinal surface of said inner member, uid actuated power means,motion transmitting mechanism between said power means and chest meansfor placing said chest means in pressing position by operation of saidpower means. said mechanism being adapted to transmit motion in eitherdirection between said chest means and power means, said chest meanshaving a greater eective pressure area acting toward said mechanism thanthe area of said power means subjected to uid pressure, means forvapplying low pressure air to said expansible pressing member, and meansfor applying air to said power means at a pressure suficiently higher toat least substantially balance the effect of said low pressure airacting against said chest means.

ALBERT MATTHEWS.

